Story courtesy of Bernd Frank, Niagara Daillies
October 09, 2021...WELLAND - Before they can raise a banner to celebrate a medal at the Ontario championships, the Niagara College women's soccer team will need to raise the bar.
While the Knights went undefeated in league play for the first time in the program's history, a 4-0 victory over visiting Redeemer to close out the season Friday night in Welland did not accomplish the overall mission. It only set the stage for the next phase: the qualifying round for the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championships.
Despite entering the post-season as only one of two teams to go 6-0, the Knights did not punch their picket to provincials taking place Oct. 29-30 at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., as they completed a sweep of the season series with the Royals. Along with Seneca, which also won all of its regular-season games, Niagara needs to win a quarter-final on its home pitch to move on to the OCAA championships.
"We're so proud of the team and what they accomplished this season," head coach Rob Lalama said. "We need to get to work and prepare.
"The ladies know we need to raise the bar."
First-half goals – Sydney Sica, 11:37 minutes in; Teri Hultink, 21:30; and Katelyn Mix, 25:08 – gave the Knights commanding lead heading into the final half. Rylan Geatrix rounded out the scoring with an even-strength marker at the 74:51-minute marker.
Niagara outshot Redeemer 33-6 but Knights goalkeeper Sierra Naccarato only needed to make four saves – two in each half – to record her fourth shutout of the season. Her 0.40 goals-against average was third in the league behind Seneca's Raven Edwards and St.Lawrence-Kingston's Constance Laroche-Lefebvre, both 0.00 with six and four shutouts, respectively.
Hultink and Sica, co-captains and graduates of high schools in the Niagara Region, each netted their ninth goals of the season to finish tied for the team lead. Hultink, from Fenwick, attended Smithville Christian, while Sica, a Niagara Falls native, attended Ryerson University and Brock after graduating from Saint Michael Catholic High School.
Niagara will either play Humber, second place, Central Division; or Durham, third, east; in a quarter-final Saturday, Oct. 23, at Youngs Sportsplex in Welland.
